


Septarian

by civilians7



Category: Original Work
Genre: Magic-Users, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 11:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13387131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/civilians7/pseuds/civilians7
Summary: Original story. Septarian, a teenager and student at a prestigious school of magic, in on the search for a nice place to one day establish a hospital when he makes an acquaintance he didn't plan on.





	Septarian

The door to the WhiteOak tavern swung open. Septarian, a boy no older than seventeen years of age, walked in. He had dark skin, his long hair was held up by the colorful flowers he had woven into it. He wore a tailor made outfit of blue and green colors, and out of his many pockets various healing herbs poked out and wrapped around him, as if they were holding the outfit itself together. Nobody who saw him had any doubt that he was a student at one of the prestigious mage schools in the city. 

 

With an eager gaze, he made his way over to the counter. Two large oak trees were positioned on either side of the tavern. Septarian guessed they built the tavern itself around them. The main shaft of the trees continued right through the ceiling. They also explained the large canopy of leaves that made up the roof which attracted him here. Around the tree at the left side of the tavern there was a large wooden table that appeared to be part of the tree itself. Sitting around the table, an energized crowd was gathered. There was a tense, breathless silence, a clatter of dice, and then a mix of groans and cheers. Septarian watched as a man slid a large pile of copper coins over to an elderly woman sitting at the other side of the table. The woman took a few coins from the pile to throw back into the ante and slid the rest into her bag. A few followed suit and added to the growing pile, a few walked away with heads hanging, and the rest seemed to just be there to watch. 

 

Septarian averted his attention when he reached the counter and hopped up onto a barstool between a woman and a man already sitting and ordered a non-alcoholic fruit drink. The woman to his left slammed down an empty mug and marched over to the crowd with a drunken sense of purpose.

 

Before long, the drink he ordered was placed in front of him.

 

“Thank you.” Septarian gave the bartender a smile and a nod.

 

“No problem.” The bartender smiled back, “What brings a school mage like yourself into town?” 

 

The bartender’s olive complexion was complimented by his styled short purple hair. He seemed to be an older man, but Septarian had a hard time trying to guess his age. The man leaned against the counter and folded his arms together, locking his gaze with Septarian’s.

 

Septarian’s eyes lit up and his smile grew wider, “Just scouting for now. I’m checking out all kinds of different towns to find the optimal place to establish my hospital. Once it’s built I’ll work there myself as a doctor.”

 

“A worthy goal.” The bartender nodded his head approvingly, “Not a fan of alcohol?” He asked, glancing at Septarian’s drink.

 

Septarian shook his head, “No, I don’t have any interest in bad habits like that. I need a clear mind to work towards my purpose.” He paused to take a sip of his drink.

 

“And what purpose is tha’?” Surprising Septarian, the man sitting to his right spoke up with a stern though very slurred voice.

 

“To help people in need of course.” Septarian stated matter-of-factly, “People living in these towns far from the cities. People less fortunate than me.”

 

“A noble cause.” The man’s voice grew more dangerous, but Septarian only lit up again.

 

“Thank you.” Septarian bowed his head to the man, who clenched his glass and let out a deep, guttural laugh.

 

The bartender leaned in closer, “Just between you and me, I don’t like alcohol either.” Septarian laughed at this. The bartender leaned back again and said “I’d certainly appreciate a nice young man like you in town to take care of me in my tougher days. How does our town rank for your hospital?”

 

“Well, from what I’ve researched, the average life expectancy here is about ten to fifteen years less than in the city, which is just unacceptable. The surrounding towns are comparable as well  which makes this a good location for covering the most ground. The hospital should also attract more commerce to the town so the locals can go into businesses other than just farming.”

 

“Oh-hoh” The bartender said with interest. 

 

At the same time as the man beside finished taking a large gulp from his glass and asked, “Is there something  _ wrong _ with being a farmer?”

 

“Farmers are a necessity for society. They keep us fed.” Septarian said back, confused about the strange question. “Farming is also very simple. A single practiced mage could handle multiple fields worth with ease. The number of separate farms in the area is very inefficient. I’m hoping to bring to that as a side effect of the increased traffic in town. Citizens will then be able to pursue higher skilled work and fulfill their own potential more over time.”

 

“You’re a fun one.” said the bartender.

 

Before Septarian could respond to him, the man beside him smashed his glass on the floor and stood up. Shocked by the action, Septarian jumped out of his seat as well.

 

“Settle down, Lepido.” The bartender said sternly. Septarian found the command very ironic considering.

 

Lepido grabbed Septarian’s collar with one hand and slammed him against the counter. The shock and pain that shot up his back caused Septarian to let out an involuntary yelp. His face felt hot with fear and embarrassment. He stared into the eyes of his assailant, at a complete loss at how he ended up in this situation.

 

“Don’t look down on us.” The man growled at him, speckles of his saliva landed on Septarian’s face with every word. His breath was rank with alcohol.

 

“What?” A flurry of words began to slip out of Septarian’s mouth before he could stop himself, “No no no, you misunderstand. I mean, I wasn’t! I’m not! I swear I only have the greatest respect for you and your, uh,  muscles.” Septarian swallowed hard trying to think a way out of this, “I was just trying to say that life could be better is all. I could improve things around here if you would let me. I could help.” Lepido’s grip only grew tighter and the flame in his eyes hotter. Septarian could not figure out what he was saying wrong.

 

Without warning, a large bag cracked over the side of the man’s head. The sound of coins clinking together filled the air as Lepido’s grip loosened. He stumbled to keep his balance and his consciousness. Septarian had no idea what to do.

 

“Well? Don’t just stand there!” Before him stood the elderly woman from the dice game. If not for her wrinkled skin and hunched posture, Septarian would have sworn her eyes had a youthful glint to them. Her silver hair was braided and wrapped around her head like a crown, holding the rest of her hair in place. She held her hand out towards him. 

 

“Come on.” She insisted.

 

Coming to his senses, Septarian grabbed her hand in his and promptly began to get dragged along behind her.

 

“Give me back my money, you cheat!” Septarian looked back to see the drunken woman from earlier followed shortly by the man who had assaulted him, still stumbling on his feet. The sight of the two angry drunks, one likely concussed, trying to run after them was almost comical. Septarian might have found it funny if he wasn’t so bewildered and overwhelmed. His savior didn’t look back. Seeming to be of a lot more use than he was in the moment, he decided to trust her. In his opinion, she moved far too fast for someone of her age and physique. 

 

_ She must have an endurance spell cast on her, _ he thought.

 

Behind them he heard bartender call out, “I have dibs on that one, Carne.”

 

She snorted and called back, “I’ll keep that in mind, Eliat.”

 

Septarian felt his face grow hot and glanced back. The bartender, Eliat apparently, looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh. Septarian’s thoughts raced and his face grew hotter still. Septarian felt himself yanked forward by the woman and kept moving. His embarrassment was replaced by more confusion as he realized they were headed not towards the tavern’s entrance, but towards the back of the building. He noticed a door next to the counter that he assumed led to a storage space. 

 

Within moments they reached it and stormed inside, making sure the door was shut behind them. Inside was a storage space for food and alcohol as he had guessed. It was lit by a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. Septarian patted himself down and checked the seams of his outfit. He had designed it to withstand a fair amount of strain, but this was the first real experience he had to test it out. The roots of herbs that connected the separate pieces of cloth together held fast. He couldn’t help feeling proud of himself. Without slowing her pace, the woman continued to a shipping crate in the corner and began pushing it.

 

“Give me a hand, kid, I’m not as young as I used to be.” she said to him. 

 

“Your lack of youth doesn’t seem to be holding you back too much.” He said as he stepped over to grab the other side of the crate.

 

“Was that a compliment?” She broke into a rough laugh, “I see why Eliat likes you.”

 

The crate slid smoothly across the floor. The woman’s breath grew increasingly quick and raspy.

_ Her spell must be wearing off _ .

 

Septarian understood why they came in here when he saw that where the crate was moments ago, there was now a hole in the wall that opened up into a narrow tunnel leading downwards into the earth. A secret escape. Septarian’s worst nightmare. The woman slipped inside and Septarian knew he couldn’t hesitate. He swallowed hard and forced himself in before he had time to think about it, quickly pulling the crate back into place as well as he could. Just in time as he heard the door open again. He imagined the surprise of their pursuers finding the room empty, but didn’t feel like lingering around to spy on them. He quietly rushed to catch up to the woman.

 

The tunnel was dark in comparison to the room they just left. He could barely make out the woman a few steps ahead of him, but didn’t want to risk alerting their pursuers to the tunnel by casting a light spell. He had to hunch over uncomfortably to keep from scraping his head on the dirt above him. With every step he half-expected the roof to drop down, crushing them both before they could react. The seconds began to stretch and it felt like he was moving in slow motion. The only thing that kept him from turning back was the risk of getting attacked again. Septarian did not enjoy confrontation, though it always did seem to follow him around for some reason. His vision only grew blurrier as his eyes adjusted. He felt light-headed and dizzy, placing his hands on the cool, moist walls of dirt only reminded him of how narrow the tunnel was. He took long deep breaths to try to calm himself down. His controlled breathing contrasted with the woman’s quick breaths that sounded even rougher than before. It sounded painful. Her pace was slowing down as well, but she still moved with confidence and grace like she was completely comfortable taking this route. Septarian envied her.

 

Before long Septarian could see scattered beams of light spilling into the tunnel ahead. When they reached it, the woman hefted herself upwards with great effort. Septarian could see that there was a hole in the dirt roof above with a bush and strands of vine growing down into it. He was relieved when the woman finally managed to climb up. He was anxious to get out of the tunnel as quick as possible. He tested the vines and decided they felt strong enough to hold his weight. He grabbed onto them and dug his feet into each side of the dirt walls of the tunnel. Pulling hard, he climbed right into the prickly tangled bush that felt far too overgrown for the purpose of concealing the exit. He took his time to make sure his clothes didn’t snag on the thorns as he pushed his way through the bramble on all fours. 

 

At last he emerged, the sunlight beat down on him again and he rolled onto his back. The long grass tickled his his cheeks. He closed his eyes and took a moment to savor the sun’s energy and the natural breeze. The energy washed over him and passed into his body. It felt like taking a bath in pure starlight. It warmed him to the core. His muscles which ached from pulling his weight up moments ago relaxed. Even his bones felt comfortable. Septarian felt reinvigorated. He could breathe normally again. He listened to the birds singing to each other around him.

 

“Thank heavens.” was all he could muster to sigh in relief.

 

The woman was wheezing nearby. Septarian cursed at himself for not noticing quicker and jumped onto his feet. He looked around him for the first time. They had emerged near a dirt path through a wooded area. From where he stood, the back of the tavern seemed a bit less than twenty yards away through the trees. Septarian could have sworn the tunnel felt multiple times longer than that, but tried not to think about it. The woman was sitting on a large stone a few feet deeper into the trees off the path. He rushed over and circled behind her.

 

“Deep breaths.” He said soothingly as he positioned his hands on her back as close as he could manage without actually touching her. His hands remained steady as began circling his hand over the spot of her lungs in fluid motion and a soft green glow began to emanate around it. “You have to be more careful, those endurance spells hit like a bull when they wear off.”

  
“Endurance spell?” The woman managed to spit out before erupting into a coughing fit. Septarian matched her movements with precision as her convulsions subsided. Then she started to laugh.

 

Septarian wasn’t quite sure what was funny, but calmly said to her, “Please try to remain still.”

 

She continued to laugh despite his request, but he could tell it was slowly becoming less painful for her. The audible progression of her health was like a sweet melody to him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to it, he didn’t want to. “The only endurance spell I have on me is good simple adrenaline, kid.” She stated when she finally settled down. Her voice came out a bit easier now.

 

“So, kid?” She said after a few moments.

 

“Septarian.” He corrected, still focusing on pooling his energy into her lungs to revitalize her lung tissue and chest muscles to encourage the airflow. He couldn’t detect the energy of anyone but hers running through the cells. That meant he was the first to give her a medical check over.

 

“Septarian, huh. . .? Like Mount Septarian?”

 

“Exactly like Mount Septarian.” He could sense her airways slowly opening and strengthening with her muscles. “What might your name be?”

 

“Carnelian.” He thought it suited her, “You go to that fancy school then? What was it again?”

 

“Cormary, and no, I go to Veridal, my family didn’t want me going all the way to the capital.”

 

She grunted in acknowledgement. “You always do what your family wants?” 

 

“What do you mean?” Septarian asked.

 

She paused for a moment as if choosing her words. “Would you have preferred going to that fancy capital school, kid?”

 

“Septarian.” He repeated, she ignored him, “Well being that far away would make it difficult to attend my family dinners each week.” He said as though the fact were obvious.

 

She sighed, “And it’s hard to report your progress and show that you’re representing them well without your family dinners, right?” She retorted sarcastically.

 

“Precisely.” He said with a satisfied nod. Her lungs were almost back up to strength to the best of his ability. 

 

She shook her head slightly then changed the subject, “Managed to get on Lepido’s, bad side huh? I haven’t seen that old drunk get that energized in a while.”

 

“I have no idea what set him off.” Septarian said exasperated.

 

Carnelian broke into a laugh, her voice was much stronger now, “Yes, I can imagine that happens to you a lot.”

 

Septarian’s cheeks grew warmer, he couldn’t deny it, “I’ve always been pretty bad with people.” He winced, “I’ve been told that I don’t pick up social cues well.” 

 

“Ehh, don’t worry about it, kid.“She waved her hand dismissively, he noticed her movements were stiff, he wouldn’t have guessed based on how she moved earlier. He finished up on her lungs and moved around to face her. He kneeled down and gestured out his hand to her. She stared at it with a blank look on her face for a moment. He nodded to her and she placed her hand over his. With this, Septarian placed his other hand on top and the soft green glow appeared between them. Her hand looked almost transparent in the light.

 

“As I recall it, you made an enemy of your own back there.” He said, continuing the conversation.

 

She snorted, “Idiot thought I was cheating, using magic or a rabbit’s foot or something, can you believe that?”

 

Septarian began his examination of her hand, similar to the lungs, it just seemed to suffer the normal effects of aging when not given proper medical treatment.

 

“People of this town believe rabbit’s feet actually work?” He asked with surprise.

 

“No no no,” She shook her head with amusement, “I can assure you, Realga’s an exception.”

 

“And I presume you weren’t using actual magic either?” From what he could tell, her chakras were blocked or out of sync, and her general energy was not well managed at all.

 

She continued to shake her head, “I’ve always been terrible at magic.” Septarian nodded, he had no doubt.

 

“So why would she think you were cheating?” He asked.

 

“Well, in part because I was, technically.” She smirked.

 

“How-?” Carnelian cut him off.

 

“I taught myself how to roll the dice, that’s all. Good ol’ sleight of hand.” She nodded towards the hand he was working on., “Far past my prime though. I used to be able to manipulate all six dice, now I have to settle for barely being able to handle three of them.” She gave a nostalgic sigh.

 

“You might be back up to six dice when I’m finished.” Septarian stated, “Of course, you would be much better off if you see an experienced doctor for a checkup, I still have a long way to go. Are there  _ any _ doctors in town?” 

 

“There are a couple quacks. Trust me kid, I feel much better with you than I would any of them.”

 

“I’ll do my best,” He gave her a smile, “actually, my dream is to establish a hospital around here.” His face lit up and the green glow of her hand faded a bit as he lost concentration. Noticing this, he forced himself to settle down. The light grew back to its previous form. “That’s what I was talking about when I made that man angry. . . Maybe I should move on to another town. Maybe...” He mumbled off.

 

“Because of that one guy?”

 

“No, that’s not- I mean-” He paused to think over his words. “I’m a long way from home.” He inevitably let out with a sigh.

 

“From the city?”

 

“Yeah. And well, my family.”

 

“I see.” They sat in silence for a moment. “How about friends?

 

“I-” He swallowed and hesitated, “did have a really close friend, but I messed things up pretty badly with that kind of recently. I’d rather not talk about that right now. I just never know when to stop talking...” He said the last part half to himself.

 

Carnelian stared at him for a moment and then said, “Care to listen to an old lady's story, son?”

 

“Please, go ahead.” He said politely. The light faded out again and he and gestured for her other hand, which she held out for him without hesitation this time.

 

She smirked, “You’re  _ supposed _ to tell me I’m not that old.” She told him with an air of amusement.

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” He apologized, a fear flashed in his eyes.

 

“I’m joking,” she waved her hand dismissively again, it was much more fluid this time. “Oooh,” She inspected her hand, opening and closing it, then moving one finger at a time. “Thanks a ton, kid, this is great.”

 

Septarian only nodded in reply, his eyes were directed down towards his work.

 

“Enough of that for now, kid, let’s go for a walk. I need a change of scenery.” Carnelian stood up from the hard rock. Septarian didn’t feel satisfied leaving it only partly finished, but he reluctantly got off his knees as well. Together they headed past the bush from which they emerged and down the dirt path, away from the tavern.

 

“I’ve been coming to this tavern to play dice since I was a child, I wasn’t so ‘lucky’ back then. I would manage to scrape up a coin or two each week to enter in the pot and would manage just one or two rounds before I dragged myself home, stewing in my own self pity.” She gestured around in exaggerated motions as she dragged out different words and phrases, acting it out like a play. 

 

“At some point I realized I struggled with even simple spells, I wouldn’t be of much help around the family farm, but I was determined. I worked twice as hard as my siblings, planting and harvesting by hand, but only accomplished a fraction that they could in the same time, I was just so. . .” Septarian felt her energy fluctuate sporadically as she walked beside him.

 

“I took to the tavern instead, a good friend and I- you met him actually, Eliat- figured out other ways to earn some coin, ways that would occasionally get us chased out of the place.” She chuckled mischievously, “So we dug that tunnel there for quick escape.” When people weren’t looking, we would sneak into the back room or go from the other side and we would dig. We blocked it of course so the original owners wouldn’t notice.”

 

“How long did that take you?” Septarian asked in amazement. Carnelian chucked some more and nodded her head.

 

“It was a lengthy project. That tunnel really helped increase our flow of copper. However I continued lose it all right back to that dice game.” She shook her head dramatically. “So I carved myself some dice out of some scrap wood back at the farm, and late into the night I would just practice.

“So also yes, in a way that woman and all the others were onto something when they accused me of cheating, but since they always suspect automatically that I’m using magic, they’ll never figure out the truth.” 

 

They continued along through the trees. Occasionally the path would split and Carnelian would lead him down one way or another.

 

“Where are we headed anyways?”

 

“Just to my farmland, not that it’s growing anything anymore. So to my regular land then. My parents died and the others all got married and moved out, so by default the land went to me.” She kicked the dirt as she walked.

 

“You never married though?” Septarian

 

“Nah.” Carnelian began to shake her head but paused, “Well, Eliat did propose to me once. Well, he proposed a few times. Actually, the offer still stands. . . But no, I never felt the need.”

 

“Why not? He seemed nice.” 

 

Carnelian glanced at him and laughed. She said, “Too nice. Far too nice. He can have his moments, believe me, but he’s always given me way more than I deserve. Better to keep him a poles length away so he doesn’t come to his senses and get sick of me, I think. I really don’t understand what’s going on in his head sometimes.”

 

“I can relate to that.” Septarian smiled wryly.

“Yeah, I bet.” Carnelian was staring into the distance, her eyes were focused on something, but somehow nothing within eyesight at the same time. “He bought that tavern to surprise me. That’s when he first proposed. So over the top.” She shook her head and smiled.

 

The trees opened up into a large open field. Lots of different plants and weeds covered the landscape, overgrown and unkept. After a few more minutes of walking, they came up to a wooden house that seemed to be shaped out of the trees themselves similar to the tavern they had just come from. They settled down on the porch and looked outwards towards the rest of the farmland.

 

“Mind if I continue?” Septarian asked her, holding his hands out.

 

“Go ahead kid.”

 

He positioned his hands around hers again, and the soft green aura began to emanate once more.

 

“Kid, can you explain to me exactly what you’re doing? The process I mean, as simple as you can.”

 

Septarian hesitated for a moment. It wouldn’t be his quickest work, but he could multitask well enough. Talking took a bit more concentration than listening

 

“Well,” He began, “I start by doing a simple examination. First I focus on the aura around your arteries and muscle for example. I diagnose what needs to be done. You have some severe carpal tunnel, I’m surprised you can accurately roll dice at all. Anyways, once I know what’s wrong, I can get to work. I meditate on your energy and mix it into my soul along with a few particular herbs I have here until a good solution is made. I then project my energy back into you, it’s very precise business. Technically I’m not the one healing you, I’m just guiding your own body on how to heal itself, with assistance from my own energy so it doesn’t put strain on you. I could very easily have your body heal in weird ways if I didn’t know what I was doing. Which I do of course. Though this isn’t too complex, more like a regular checkup.”

 

“Makes sense.” She nodded as if she didn’t actually understand at all, though Septarian didn’t pick up on it.

 

Continuing through a mental checklist, Septarian guided his hands over her stomach. Something wasn’t right, it felt different than just the regular deterioration of age the rest of her body had. 

 

“Something isn’t right.” He said.

 

“Geez, kid, this is embarrassing you know.”

 

“Sorry,” he replied, but he was distracted, trying to focus in on whatever he was sensing. Then he found it. His breath stopped. 

 

Carnelian picked this up and questioned. “What is it?”

 

“A tumor.” Septarian rasped out of his dry mouth. “It seems as though it will become really serious if it develops, luckily it’s barely in its early stages, so with proper treatment you should be able to overcome it with fair ease. This timing is pretty lucky actually.”

 

Carnelian didn’t say anything, her expression was confused, her eyebrows furrowed in anger, then she just relaxed and sighed.

 

“Naturally.” she said at last. She looked into Septarian’s eyes thoughtfully.

 

“I’ll make you a wager, kid. If you can manage to cure me before I kick it, I’ll give you my land so you can build your hospital.”

 

Septarian was caught off guard. “What? You should see an expert! It will take me years before I reach any kind of level to be of help! That’s years for this tumor to grow and become more dangerous.”

 

“I’m not afraid of death, kid. If this is how I go then I don’t mind it, but I’m willing to make a gamble on you. I believe you can do it before it’s too late.”

 

“Don’t be stubborn. I won’t be able to. Come with me back to the city and just get proper care.”

 

“I’ve never been a big fan of the city, besides, this is what you’re studying for, right? I want to be your first real patient, you got that? And if you manage to save me, you can build your hospital right here. It’s win-win”

 

“I suppose. . . This isn’t exactly the best place for the hospital though. I mean, it’s a bit out of the way from the main road.”

 

Carnelian smiled in spite of herself, “Look forward to working with you, Doc.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to goddess_of_flowers_and_death for the original prompt that inspired this story.
> 
> I currently plan on one or two more chapters for this story, but I will also be working on other works based within the same world.
> 
> The characters and world depicted are originals of mine :) 
> 
> All critiques, suggestions, and comments are accepted and encouraged!


End file.
